The West Virginia University baseball team won yet another game, as the Mountaineers annihilated Queens 17-3 at The Stick Williams Dream Fields in Charlotte on Monday to complete a four-game sweep. Read more WVU Baseball Completes Sweep, Advances to 12-0.
Game Breakdown
After a scoreless first inning for WVU (12-0) and Queens (2-10), the second inning saw junior center fielder Skylar King single to center field, scoring senior DH Jace Rinehart. Redshirt junior third baseman Chase Swain followed this up with an RBI double to left center, as freshman left fielder Gavin Kelly crossed home plate. Senior first baseman Grant Hussey then continued his great series with an RBI groundout to plate King. Senior shortstop Brodie Kresser drove in the fourth run with a single to left field to score King.
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Junior catcher Logan Sauve continued the WVU onslaught with a single to center field, with sophomore right fielder Armani Guzman representing the fifth run of the game. WVU repeated a similar trick seen on Sunday, as Kresser scored while Sauve was stealing second base to make the score 6-0. A new pitcher didn’t stop the Mountaineers as Kelly then singled to center field to score junior second baseman Sam White as well as Sauve. Coming up again, Swain got his second RBI of the evening as Kelly was the ninth run on his RBI single to left field.
Monster Second Inning
All in all, the Mountaineers scored nine runs during the second inning, chasing Royals starter Joey Ruller from the game.
The third inning brought more runs, with White and Kelly hitting RBI singles, as Kresser and then White crossed home plate to bring the score to 11-0. Guzman added an RBI groundout in the fourth inning to drive in Swain as the 12th run.
The Royals would have a good inning of their own, as three straight RBI singles brought the score to 12-3.
The Mountaineers had the perfect response however in the top of the fifth. Starting things off, Rinehart homered to left center to score senior left fielder Kyle West and make it 14-3. Then, sophomore shortstop Spencer Barnett hit a three-run homer to right center, as he, Swain and Kelly scored to put WVU up 17-3.
The score then remained unchanged through the bottom of the seventh inning, when the Mountaineers won the game as they were up more than 10 runs at the even of the seventh, ending the game early.
As the scoreline would suggest, it was a comprehensive showing from West Virginia in the batter’s box. The Mountaineers hit a scintillating 19-39 (.487) on the day, with five walks and five extra-base hits en route to scoring 17 runs, with Rinehart, Kelly, Swain and Barnett all having multiple RBI. Due to the blowout nature of the game, WVU head coach Steve Sabins was able to get 15 of the team’s 19 batters into the game.
Pitching Continues to Dominate
Pitching was a team effort for WVU, as seven pitchers were used across seven inning. Freshman right-handed pitcher David Hagens got the start, going two innings while giving up one hit and no runs. The bullpen effort of junior righty Luke Lyman, sophomore left-hander Joe Fredericks, freshman righty Bryson Hoff, senior righty Tyler Hutson, junior right-handed Robby Porco and righty grad student Jack Kartsonas. Combined for seven innings, giving up four hits and two walks while allowing seven runs.
It’s a few days rest from game action for the Mountaineers, as they return home to face Kennesaw State on Friday at 2 p.m. at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
